


On Fate's Wings

by Azureal1996



Series: Kindred Wings [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Age Difference, Alive Sabo (One Piece), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Wings, F/F, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Like i cant write them to save my life, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, No Underage Relationship, Really crappy fight scenes, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:35:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22039408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azureal1996/pseuds/Azureal1996
Summary: Almost everyone had a soulmate and Marco couldn't wait to meet his.He just wasn't expecting to wait so long and to not have just one.-----Ace never thought someone could love him, let alone two. He wasnt sure how he could ever face his second soulmate though and tell them their wings would never be complete since Sabo was gone.----Sabo wasnt sure what to make of his wings. He knew that once in a while people were born with no soulmate but it was incredibly rare to have two. Apparently he'd met one of his but unfortunately he didnt remember anything about them.*TEMPORARY HIATUS because, life be like that as of 08/8*
Relationships: Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks/Makino, Franky/Nico Robin, Fushicho Marco | Phoenix Marco/Portgas D. Ace/Sabo, Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Nami/Nefertari Vivi
Series: Kindred Wings [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1586389
Comments: 17
Kudos: 155





	1. On Soulmates

Marco was a sucker for fairytales growing up, who wasn’t really. 

Stories of grand adventures. 

Trials of adversity and eventual triumph. 

But most of all, he was drawn to tales of friendship, family and above all else, love. In a world where almost everyone has a soulmate, Marco couldn’t help but wonder who his would be. 

Marco’s family abandoned him when he was  young, and he never knew why. They just up and left one day after he went to sleep. Not knowing what to do, Marco made the nearest town his home. He slept in the forest at night and became an expert at hiding from the wild animals. During the day, Marco would do odd jobs for the townsfolk in order to make money for food so that he wouldn’t have to steal. Any spare time he had was spent in the library and the head librarian quickly became Marco’s closest friend.

The librarian , whose name was Ara, taught him how to read and anytime Marco showed interest in a particular topic,  Ara  would go out of his way to buy new books to add to the  library’s collection just for him. The library ended up with A LOT of medical literature. 

They spent so much time together that Marco began to see the librarian as the only family he had. They celebrated  life’s happier moments together and the man held him tight and cried with him on Marco’s darker days. He was also the person to explain soulmates to him. Marco had always  acknowledged the little wings on his back but never put much thought into them since they had always been there.  It wasn’t until he was a little older, about ten, that he noticed the wings of the people around him were all different. Kids that he knew growing up who had white wings like his all of a sudden had colorful wings, but his never changed. 

Confused, Marco visited  Ara  and asked him why his wings were different than everyone elses. The librarian looked at him with soft eyes as he explained that everyone’s wings are different, but they all share one common trait: your wings connect you to your soulmate. Marco looked confused and the librarian continued:

_ We are all born with wings. They all look the same in the beginning: white, flightless and indistinguishable from any other wings. As we grow older, our wings  _ _ develop _ _ and change. It sounds odd, but one of your wings is not your own,  _ Ara pointed to Marco’s wings so that he could look at them and notice their differences,  _ See how your wings are different from one another? That’s because your left wing is yours  _ _ but your right wing is your soulmates. By the age of ten your wings will mature into their final form and change colors. Your wings will change color, the left wing matching your personality and your right wing matching your soulmates. When you finally meet your soulmate, you’ll get your own wing back and you’ll give them theirs. Your wing colors will change, creating a beautiful mixture of colors with each persons colors being the main base for their wings and their soulmates color now integrated  _ _ into theirs, creating a beautiful and unique display. Once this happens you’ll also be able to fly, isn’t that wonderful! _

Marco was in awe but his amazement died slowly as he thought for a minute and looked sad as he asked  _ What is my soulmate doesn’t want me? My own family didn’t. _

Ara  scooped Marco up into a big hug and squeezed him tight.  _ Your family was a bunch of fools. It is possible that a soulmate could reject you and then your wings would turn gray forever, BUT that doesn’t happen ver _ _ y often and I’m sure it wouldn’t happen to you. Your soulmate is going to love you Marco, I’m sure of it. _

Marco giggled as the librarian went on and on about how great he was and couldn’t help but smile as the man put him down and ruffled his hair.  After they both calmed down, the young boy sat down on the floor and stretched his wings forward to look at them. His wings were both still white, but visibly very different. The left wing was slim and reptile like and reminded him of the pictures of dragons in the fantasy books he read. His right wing was broad and fluffy, shaped like that of a crow although obviously much larger. He hugged his right wing and wished to the universe that his soulmate would love him as much as he already loved them. 

After the conversation he ha d with  Ara , Marco checked his wings everyday hoping to see what colors his wings would be. He wasn’t sure exactly when he was born, but he knew that he should roughly be about ten by now.  A couple months passed and nothing changed. Disheartened, Marco slumped his way over to where his adoptive father sat doing some paperwork  _ Hey. Why haven’t my wings changed colors yet? I’m sure that I’m ten by now.  _

The librarian looked up from his work and pondered for a moment before answering  _ It’s not common, but your own wing could just be white. If that’s the case your wing is fine. As for your soulmates wing, if they aren’t ten yet themselves the wing wont change color unless you met them. Your soulmate may be younger than you. I wouldn’t worry about it Marco.  _

At the new information, Marco perked up and went to read yet another soulmate fairytale. They had become one of his favorite stories to read beside medical books since he learned about them. 

Marco and  Ara lived happily for a while. Reading and experiencing the mundane together as their own little family. Pirate stories began to grab Marco’s interest and the librarian said that he would support him in any endeavor that he so chose as long as it made him happy. 

Their island was peaceful, until one day a band of mercenaries showed up and  started pillaging the town. They had received a tip that some extremely rare devil fruit was on the island  and were on the hunt for a big payday. They barged into every home, every business and when they didn’t find what they wanted they killed the  inhabitants and burned the building. Marco had been out getting food when the mercenaries attacked and had hid behind a couple crates in an alley when they walked by. He overheard them talking about how they were looking for some  kind of mythical zoan type fruit and he had no idea why they would think anything like that was here. He needed to warn  Ara  so they could escape and snuck out of the alley and ran as fast as he could. 

Marco made it to the library before the intruders could get to there, but they were right down the street and the library would be their next target. Busting through the door Marco screamed for the older man who looked relieved,  _ Marco, thank the gods. I was hoping you were safe. Are you alright? _

The boy nodded his head and told  Ara what he had overheard and the man paled, muttering under his breath about how he feared this day. Marco was confused as the man walked into the ancient text section of the library and pulled out a giant book he had never  read before because he was told that he wasn’t ready to read it yet. He wanted to ask why the man went and grabbed a book when they needed to run, but before he got the chance the door was broken down and a group of terrifying, bloody men blocked their exit. 

They weren’t going to make it out of there. 

Marco had all but accepted his fate when he heard footsteps fast approach him while guns started going off and  Ara shoved something atrocious into his mouth and yelled  _ CHEW! _ Marco did as he was told and was utterly disgusted at the taste. When he opened his eyes after the bitterness subsided, Marco saw that  Ara had collapsed onto his knees and shielded him, shielding him from the barrage of bullets the mercenaries had sent their way. Tears pricked his eyes as the life faded from the eyes of the only family he had left. With the last of his energy, the librarian ruffled Marco’s hair  _ Run Marco. I’m sorry to leave you like this, but you’ll be safe now. Follow your dreams and I know you’ll find your soulmate and another family. I love you.  _ With his final words, the man fell to the floor and Marco screamed. 

The boy got up and ran towards the mercenaries who, after recovering from the shock of a young boy charging them, began shooting at him. Marco was sure he was going to die, but everywhere the bullets hit burst into flames and then quickly mended. The mercenaries were stunned, which gave Marco the opening he needed to break through their poorly built wall of men. Once past them, Marco didn’t know where to go but he made a dash for docks, hoping there would be a boat he could use to sail away. 

The men regained their composure and chased after the boy. They pieced together that the librarian had fed their prized devil fruit to the kid and figured that if they couldn’t have the fruit that the y may as well sell the kid who ate it. 

Marco ran and ran. He didn’t remember the docks being that far away. He could hear the loud footsteps of his pursuers and smelled the blood and flames of the town that they demolished. Dirt and tears caked his face as the boy tried to figure out where he would go once off the island. Lost in thought, Marco ran straight into something and fell backwards onto his butt. Shaking his head and gathering his bearings, Marco looked up to see the largest man he had  ever seen in his entire life. He had a white crescent shaped mustach e and some long blonde hair. He wasn’t wearing a shirt which showed off his collection of scars that littered his chest. In his right hand he held a giant weapon that Marco didn’t want to be on the wrong end of.  _ Gurarara,  _ _ what are you running from brat? _

As if on cue, the men who had been chasing him finally caught up to him. They froze at the sight of the giant man who now stood before them, but once they caught sight of Marco on the ground they snapped out of their daze.  _ Out of the way old man! We don’t care who you are, that boys is ours. If you don’t scram you’ll end up like that village back there.  _ The men cackled as they gestured towards the billowing smoke and the scent of blood drifted on the wind. The  men trained their guns on the towering man that stood in their way. 

Marco’s eye’s widened. He didn’t want anyone else dying because of him and this man had just happened to be in his path. Scooting around to face his pursuers, Marco screamed  _ Please don’t shoot this man, he has nothing to do with anything. You’ve already killed everyone else, you just want me right? I’ll come with you.  _ Marco turned around to face the stranger before getting to his feet,  _ I’m sorry sir, please escape while you have the chance. _ The man looked strong but Marco doubted he could block a barrage of bullets, just like  Ara couldn’t. 

Marco slowly walked forward, wiping the tears and trying not to smear blood into  his e yes . He made it halfway to the men before sinister laughter  rang  in his ears and noticed that the guns had been trained on him and the man once again,  _ But, I thought you were going to let him go!  _

The mercenaries just continued snickering,  _ The worlds a cruel place kid, no way we are letting him get away knowing we have a prize like you! All we need are sea prism bullets to keep you in check. So long gramps!  _ Before he could blink, the men fired all their bullets towards him and the man, with one gun trained on him. He didn’t even have time to think, before he knew what was happening a large crack echoed in his ears and a gust of wind knocked him on his butt again. Looking up he saw the large man protectively standing in front of him,  _ Gurararara presumptuous little brat. You need protecting, not me.  _ Marco’s cheeks turned red and stammered a bunch of incoherent sentences.  __ _ I just stopped by to see what all the commotion was about, didn’t expect to run into a youngster being chased by a group of grown mercenaries.  _ The man stared down the group before him like they were flies,  _ What business do you have with this boy?  _

The men scoffed  _ That was an impressive display of power but we won’t be intimidated! That’s none of your business! _

The man just let out a low and menacing laugh,  _ I see. Well, I’ve taken a liking to this lost boy and you can’t have him. Get lost!  _ The men unloaded another wave of bullets but the man just clenched his fists and hit the air, creating a crack and another large gust of wind. This time though, Marco watched as the bullets got hit by the wave and disintegrated before his eyes. Before the men could try to fire again, the man enveloped the tip of his weapon in some kind of sphere and swung, knocking back the whole group. Not allowing them to get up, the man leapt  into the air, sphere still manifested and swung his weapon down onto his intended targets. Marco was sure none of them survived. 

Marco was frozen in place.  The man checked to make sure his job was done and once satisfied made his way back to the young boy. He knelt down before Marco and smiled,  _ What’s your name boy?  _

He stammered out a weak reply,  _ M…M…Marco…Sir. _

The man’s smile widened into a blinding grin,  _ Hello Marco, I’m Edward Newgate, but you can call me Whitebeard. Do you have anywhere to go? Any family left? _

Marco shook his head.

_ If you want, you can leave this island with me. I have a pirate crew, we are like a family. You are more than welcome if you would like. There are other boys your age, I’m sure you would get alone.  _

Marco thought for a second. The only family he had was dead, he had nothing left. He wanted to be a pirate and this man just saved him. Marco determinedly looked the man, Whitebeard in the eyes and nodded his head yes. 

Whitebeard stretched his arm towards Marco to help him up,  _ Welcome aboard. Let’s go home then, son.  _

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Earth to Marco! Hello? Anyone in there?”

A snap startled Marco and he stumbled backwards, caught by a familiar warm hand that stabilized him so that he didn’t completely fall over. After reorienting himself and catching his breath, Marco looked to his side to see Thatch who looked exceedingly concerned for his best friend. Stepping back, Thatch crossed his arms “You alright bud? You were standing there just spacing out for  a while .  The sun went down forever ago.  I probably could have drawn all over your face or stacked plates on your head and you wouldn’t have even noticed.”

Marco brought his white wings forward so that he could look at them, hurt and exhaustion in his eyes as he caressed his right wing, “I was just thinking about my soulmate and the day Pops found me.  My previous adoptive father used to tell me that I would find my soulmate without a doubt, but it’s been 22 years since he said that. My wings haven’t changed colors at all and I just… Sometimes it gets to me, ya know, yoi?” 

Thatch’s eyes softened and he moved to place both hands on Marco’s shoulders and gave a comforting squeeze, “I’m sure that the librarian was right Marco . Soulmate wings are tricky and  complex. Maybe your soulmate has a white wing too, it would be your luck to have some kind of freak anomaly for a partner.”

Marco couldn’t help but laugh, “Yeah, that would be my luck wouldn’t it, yoi.” 

Smiling, Thatch moved to latch himself onto Marco’s arm and  lightly  wrapped his wing  around Marco in a warm embrace, “I don’t think you’ve eaten a proper meal in a while. Why don’t you come to the kitchen and I’ll cook up one of your favorite dishes and then we can play some card games for a while. Sound like a plan?”

He really needed to do paperwork, but he wasn’t really in the mood for it right now, “Sure Thatch, I’ll take you up on that offer. You do make chicken curry to die for, yoi.”

His excitement overtook him and Thatch flitted his wings, lifting him off the ground “Sweet man! It’s been forever! I’ll go get the ingredients I need from the store room real fast. Go ahead, I’ll be there in two shakes of a feather,” and without wasting any time Thatch literally flew to the store. 

Marco chuckled as he made his way to the mess hall. Him and Thatch used to play cards together all the time, but they hadn’t gotten a chance to recently because of all the paperwork and missions he had taken on. Plus, Thatch was fairly busy with dividing his time between his duties as the head chef on the Moby and spending time with Izo. 

It didn’t take long for Thatch to get back from his errand run and he  whipped up his signature chicken curry like it was second nature. Marco could have melted right then and there from how mouth wateringly delectable the dish was. After he was done eating, the two commanders talked and played cards late into the night and when the clock in the mess hall chimed, indicating that it was currently midnight Marco knew it was time for him to make his way back to his room. 

The first division commander raised one finger, which told Thatch that this was their last hand. Marco usually ended up winning and this time was no different as Marco closed the night out with a royal flush that the cook just couldn’t beat. Thatch tossed his cards and mock cried as Marco pushed back his chair and got up to leave. After waving goodbye, Marco turned around and heard a large gasp from his friend, “What’s wro…” 

“Marco! Look at your wings man, you are not going to believe this!”

Bewildered, the blonde man did as his friend directed and when he caught sight of his wings his breath hitched. After 23 long years of doubt and sorrow, his wings had color. Not just one wing, but both. He always thought that when he got his color that it would only be the right wing, that one was supposed to be his soulmates after all, his left wing was  his, allegedly. Of course he would be an anomaly. That didn’t matter though. Tears started to well up in his eyes as he  took in the two new foreign colors on his wings: his left wing was a deep, firey orange and it definitely wasn’t a color that would be his own. His right wing was a light sky blue. 

Thatch got up, stars in his eyes as he took in the newly colored wings of his best friend.

Marco couldn’t help but wrap himself in his wings as he whispered “I was never alone, yoi. I just had two soulmates.”


	2. Fates Timing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After another failed search for his soulmates, Marco returns to the Moby where he ends up meeting a fierce, raven-haired boy.

The heat on the island he’d found himself on was sweltering and all Marco wanted to do now was think and cool off, so that's what he did. Marco walked leisurely to the islands sandy shore and found a relatively dry piece of driftwood to sit down on. With a deep sigh, he buried his face in his hands and his toes as far into the wet sand as they would go.

It has been nearly two years, Marco should know better by now.

When his wings finally changed color, he felt nothing but pure relief and jubilation. He didn’t have just one, but potentially two soulmates! His joy was quickly overshadowed by the reality of the situation though when he realized that for them to only be changing now, they must both have turned 10 and he was (and obviously still is) considerably older. He couldn’t in good conscience seek either of them out while they were still so young, so Marco made the decision to wait until they were at least 18. He’d waited over 30 years, what was another 8 or so?

After 8 years passed, he actively began his search. Anytime he caught sight of an orange or sky blue wing his hope would rise, only to be swiftly sunk into the bottom of the sea as they were never his soulmates. His brothers saw how heartbroken he got anytime he returned from yet another failed soulmate quest and eventually they took it upon themselves to help him. Many of the Whitebeard pirates were individuals who’s soulmate bonds didn’t work out one way or another, misfits of fate who missed out on the dreams that anyone with wings hold dear. They didn’t want their beloved 1st division commander to be alone.

Thatch became the leader of the self named “Find Marco’s lovers” club. Marco hated the name, but appreciated the sentiment. Most of the Whitebeard pirates participated, collecting information and scouting islands anytime they got the chance. Once the data was collected, it was brought back to Thatch who would then sift through everything and not-so-discreetly push Marco to go on ridiculous “missions” where he would just-so-happen to run into someone with a wing description similar to one of his own. None of them had panned out so far, once Thatch unknowingly sent him to meet an undercover marine officer who attempted to arrest him on the spot. That was embarrassing to say the least and he didn’t let Thatch forget it for weeks.

This mission was no different. There were reports that a girl was spotted on this island with one orange wing that supposedly looked like his. Imagine his surprise when he arrived at the island and saw the girl, excitedly flew to the ground and transformed out of his phoenix form only to scare the girl who then fell dramatically to the ground and hit the ground hard enough her wings fell off. She burst into tears and Marco was too stunned for a minute to say anything. After the shock wore off, he helped her to her feet and she begged him not to tell anyone about her wings. It turned out that she had seen him somewhere before and thought his wings were gorgeous so she ordered fake wings to look exactly like his. She had been bullied for being born without wings and couldn’t take it anymore, which was why she moved to this island with fake wings where no one knew her and just pretended she hadn’t met her soulmate. Marco understood, but it still felt devastating which is why he now sits on the islands shoreline, taking a breather before he flies back to the Moby.

He sat there lost in thought for what felt like ages.

As the sun began to set Marco felt his pants pocket vibrate, bringing his mind back to the present. He grabbed the Den Den Mushi and answered, but before he could even get a word in a familiar voice prematurely cut him off.

“Marco! Finally!” Thatch’s voice was filled with warmth, “I’ve been sitting on the edge of my seat ever since you left. Was she the one?”

Marco sighed, “She wasn’t my soulmate, yoi. It turned out she didn’t really have wings to begin with, they were black market fakes.”

“What!? I’m sorry Marco, I thought for sure she would be one. They sure make those fake wings convincing though, eh? We’ll just keep trying, don't give up! I’m sure you’re soulmates are right around the corner, just gotta keep believing, ya know?” Thatch sounded oddly peppy on the other end of the den den mushi, something good must be happening on the Moby.

With a tiny, exasperated chuckle Marco spoke again, “ Yeah, you’re right, yoi. Maybe I’m trying too hard, yoi. I just…”

“OI, OI, OI! Marco, buddy ol pal, that’s enough of that. No self pity from our esteemed first division commander. You’ll find them, I’m sure of it. I know it’s been a long time already, but just give it a little bit longer before throwin in the towel for now, alright?” Marco could imagine Thatch’s dramatics as he gave his speech and the bright grin that would melt his fears away. He always knew what to say to make this whole soulmate situation just a little bit lighter.

“I hear you, loud and clear, yoi” was all Marco could say as he wiped unwanted tears from his eyes.

A triumphant smirk could be heard as Thatch replied, “Good, with that all taken care of, are you coming back to the Moby soon? We’ve had a lot happen since you left.”

Marco raised his brow in interest, “You’ve got my interest, yoi. Continue.”

Thatch enthusiastically obliged, “Remember how Pops was going to go and challenge that kid, Ace, that’s been claiming he wanted to kill him?”

“Yes?”

“Well, Pops obviously won their little showdown and I’m sure you can guess what happened next.”

“Did he really, yoi?”

“Yes, yes he did. He took an immediate liking to the little punk and brought his whole crew on board the Moby. Pops is dead set on him joining the crew.”

“I’m not surprised in the least, it’s kind of his thing, yoi,” Marco let out a loud laugh.

“That’s not even the best part man. The kids crew is actually pretty chill and they’re getting along with the rest of our brothers, but the kid himself is still dead set on taking out pops so he just kind of finds new creative ways to attack him. We’ve all started making bets on when he’ll strike throughout the day.”

Marco’s laughter subsided, “Are you serious yoi? I know Pops can take care of himself but that still seems a little reckless to let him rampage throughout the ship”

Thatch made a ‘psh” noise and Marco could imagine him waving his hands in dismisal at him, “It’s fine, you’ll see what I’m talking about when you get here.”

Marco stood up and stretched, removing his submerged feet from the depths of their sand prison, “I guess so, I’m gonna head back now then. I should be back to the Moby in a couple days, yoi. Don’t let the kid get too reckless.”

Thatch scoffed, “Aye, aye commander! Safe travels and look forward to seeing you upon your return. I’ll have a plate of your favorite food waiting for you when you get home.”

“Bye, yoi.”

“See you soon!”

Marco looked to the sky and sighed. It sounded like things were going to be a little crazy when he got back. With a leap, Marco transformed into his phoenix form and took to the sky, heading for him.

\--------------------------------

The flight back to the Moby was long and tiresome. He had a lot of time to just think as he soared over the ocean. A majority of his thoughts were about his soulmates. Has fate forsaken him? Would he ever actually get to meet one, let alone both of his soulmates? Most people meet their soulmates at some point, but it’d be his luck they actually were marines or he’d meet them on his deathbed or something.

The rest of his thoughts were on the kid that Pops brought on board the ship. He’s STILL trying to kill him according to Thatch. Several of his brothers started out trying to kill Pops but they usually gave up after the first day or two. Marco couldn’t help but wonder what the kid had against Pops. Pops must see great potential in him if he’s willing to put up with being attacked constantly for days on end. His mind didn’t wander far from the mystery boy as the Moby Dick came into few.

Finally, he was home.

As fate would have it, Marco wouldn't have to wait long to meet the spunky kid Thatch told him about because he could see a boy with black hair getting into an attack position above Pops. He was hiding on the mainmast, most likely hidden from the view of most the men on deck. Pops could handle himself, but Marco wouldn’t be a good second hand man if he just let his captain get attacked once he returned from his frivolous mission. The boy looked like he was about the pounce, so Marco picked up the pace. As the kid jumped from the main mast with blood lust in his eyes, Marco gracefully intercepted him, half transforming so that he kicked the kid away with his clawed feet and fluttered to the ground with his arms still in phoenix form. Once on the ground Marco fully released his phoenix form and stood with his arms crossed behind Pops , “Can’t just let you attack our captain however you see fit. I’ve got a name to uphold, yoi.”

The boy looked pissed, knocked on his rear from Marco’s kick. Fierce black eyes looked up at him and Marco was about to prepare for a brawl when the boys face quickly changed from pure venom and hatred to that of complete and utter shock. Marco wasn’t quite sure what had happened until he actually took a good look at him: the boy had black hair to his shoulders and some of the blackest eyes he’d ever seen. Freckles adorned the young mans face and he looked like he was in his late teens, maybe 18 or 19.

The most remarkable thing though were his wings.

In a daze, Marco walked up to the frozen boy and grabbed one of his wings. He would recognize this wing anywhere. He been carrying it around for years. Quickly he looked to his own wings and where his orange, crow like wing used to be was a new violet wing with a slight orange tint. Was this his own wing? Did Thatch know this kid was his soulmate when he called? He was going to kick that chefs ass whenever he…

Before he could finish his thought the boy tugged his wing out of Marco’s grasp, and got to his feet. He took a few steps back and protectively wrapped himself in his wings while holding one arm with the other.

Marco couldn’t believe it, he took a step forward and with a shaky voice spoke, “You’re Ace right? Wow, um, I never thought I’d meet one of my soulmates like this yoi,” He laughed as he nervously scratched the back of his head, “I’m sorry about kicking you.”

Ace remained quiet and stared at the ground, his right hand anxiously rubbing his left arm.

Trying to break the silence Marco continued, “I’ve been looking for my soulmates for the past two years, I’m so happy to meet you Ace. I can’t believe I finally get to see what my own wing looks like,”

Marco noticed that Ace flinched at the word soulmates but still didn’t speak. “Am I making you uncomfortable? I could always come back later and let you process. I guess this is kind of abrupt.” It would be kind of shocking to run into your soulmate on the ship of someone you were hellbent on killing. Marco turned to walk away, “I’ll just be waiti…” Before he could walk away he felt a vice grip on his wrist as Ace ran forward to stop him from leaving.

Marco was confused but he just waited for Ace to speak. Ace’s face went through a flurry of emotions, most of them painful, before he settled on a look of pure anguish which wasn’t all too promising, “ I have something I need to share with you, but I need time,” he managed to say. He looked like he was about to burst into tears and it broke Marco’s heart.

Turning back around to face Ace, Marco put his hands on Ace’s shoulders, “Take all the time you need, yoi. When you’re ready, come find me. If you can’t find me, just ask Thatch where I am, he’s the chef with the brown pompadour.” Ace shook his head and then sullenly walked away to collect his thoughts.

Marco wasn’t sure what Ace wanted to tell him but he knew two things:

One, he had found one of his soulmates and he would gladly listen to anything he had to say, good, bad or otherwise.

Two, he was going to kill Thatch when he saw him next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm baaaaack! I'm so sorry for the slow and short update. The next chapter is going to be a lot longer and be from Ace's point of view. It makes me so happy that anyone likes this story, it's been something i've wanted to write for so long. None of the actual wing designs have been revealed yet but I think you'll find them interesting when they're revealed soon. Thank you for your support through comments in kudos. They really made me want to continue writing. 
> 
> Life has been a little hectic and challenging, so updates will still be slow but i promise that they are coming. I love this story too much to abandon it.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a slow updater and I'm super sorry about that. Anyone who wants to keep updated or read fun world building stuff I have can do so on my tumblr!  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/onepiecemakesmeweep 
> 
> I post updates there semi regularly and also write my personal headcanons that I apply to most of my fics, everything is tagged leaspeaks or kindredwingsop


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